Yosemite National Park

1189 square mile Yosemite National Park, renowned for its magnificent granite cliffs, pristine streams, stunning waterfalls, breathtaking vistas and Giant Sequoia groves and immortalized time and again in artistic rendition is an ideal destination for student groups heading to the beautiful and diverse Golden State. Natural attractions Half Dome, El Capitan, Sentinel Dome and the Tunnel View draw hordes of hikers, rock climbers and photographers annually; the high country affords visitors the spellbinding scenery of Tuolumne and Dana Meadows, the Clark and Cathedral Ranges and the Kuna Crest. Almost 95% percent designated wilderness area, the park is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, supporting a huge diversity of native species and containing five major vegetation zones. Originally occupied by indigenous Paiute and Sierra Miwok peoples, the area has been populated for more than 3000 years, long before the Gold Rush brought floods of prospectors, who wrestled with the native inhabitants for possession of the lands rich with valuable natural resources. Scottish-born naturalist John Muir publications popularized the area, thereby generating significant scientific interest in it, and ultimately convinced the State of California to protect the land from misuse; Yosemite National Park was created in 1891, although California retained control of the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove, and poor stewardship saw their steady-and alarming-decline. Consistent efforts by Muir and his Sierra Club culminated with a three-day “camping” trip with President Theodore Roosevelt near Glacier Point, during which time he managed to convince the President to take control of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove and which resulted in Roosevelt’s eventual signing of a bill in 1903, returning the precious Valley and Grove to the federal government, effectively halting their destruction.